A serious mental health crisis looms in post-earthquake Turkey
Three weeks have passed since the death of Tocci’s aunt and grandmother, Sirin Gül, in the city of Antakya, in the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey. However, the young woman still suffers as she tries to sleep, as she remains awake every day until 4.17am local time.
When the earthquake struck, Tocci, 28, managed to escape from the house with her mother, moments before its walls collapsed. At dawn on Monday, the sixth of February, the young woman arrived on the street barefoot, to see there the bodies of the neighbors who had been killed as a result of the collapses that had occurred, and to remember the cries of those trapped in the collapsed buildings.
Tocci believes that the horror caused deep psychological crises among the survivors, those who “lost everything” in the earthquake-ravaged city of Antakya. The young woman does not hide that she will one day seek specialized help to recover from the trauma she has suffered, but her only priority is to work on arranging a “new life” for herself and her family.
The earthquake, which is considered the deadliest in Turkey’s modern history, will have a profound psychological impact, according to what various parties and experts estimate. More than 44,300 people have died in the country and more than 1.5 million people have been displaced as a result of the natural disaster, amid extremely cold weather. Millions have also lost family members, jobs, savings, property and hopes for the future.
Children are at risk
Experts fear that children will be the most affected by the earthquake and its aftermath. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), many of the 5.4 million children living in the earthquake zone are at risk of developing anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. “We know how important learning and routine are for children and their recovery,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, after a visit to Turkey. She added that they “need to be able to resume their learning,” stressing that they “need to They are desperate for psychological and social support to be able to deal with the trauma they have been subjected to.”
In a large camp for the displaced next to Hatay Stadium on the outskirts of Antakya, psychosocial support teams have set up small recreational points and pitched tents filled with toys. Muhammad Sari, who works in the field of psychological and social support within the framework of official teams, says that he and others in his team have observed signs of trauma in children. He adds, speaking to Archyde.com: “We see that there are children who cannot sleep, and some of them do not eat, and others regain memories of what happened.” They suffer from bedwetting in their sleep,” and stresses that “they need long-term support to recover from the trauma.”
In this context, the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services reported that it had sent more than 3,700 social workers to support survivors in the earthquake zone. Volunteers from the “Sukak Sanatlari Atulici” Art Group, in Izmir, dressed up as Superman and clowns and provided activities for children living in a camp to shelter the victims of the earthquake in Hatay province (south). However, a large earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale undermined the efforts exerted to give children a slight feeling that life is returning to normal amid the continuous aftershocks since the February 6 earthquake.
Constant chronic stress
In a related context, Aisha Bilge Selcuk, a specialist in psychology and a professor at the Turkish MEF University, says that the Turkish people are basically suffering from great pressure as a result of increasing poverty and the impact of the Corona epidemic times, and the earthquake has finally come to take it to the next level, adding a spokeswoman to the agency. Archyde.com, “The tension is chronic and persistent, and it is now beyond the level we can handle. For this nation to rise, we need to find the strength within, and it starts with our psychological state.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pledged to rebuild homes destroyed or damaged by the earthquake within a year, but it will be many months before thousands can leave tents, shipping containers or daily lines for food and move into permanent housing. This process of transition is essential to their feeling of regaining the normality and security they have lost.
Selcuk notes that people appear sedated, and this “is likely a defense mechanism to deal with stress that can’t be overcome,” she says. “Anxiety, helplessness, and depression are also likely to be prevalent, and young people may feel angry.” Selçuk stresses that “reconstruction efforts must include mental health,” and urges the government to “provide funding for trained psychologists to send to and stay in the earthquake-hit area,” adding that “sustainability is key, and we should not divert our attention away (from That) after three months.
(Archyde.com)